FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT CADILLAC DEVILLE - PAGE 4

Q. Ford's new "Free Ride" seems to clearly state that the program can be combined with the current zero-percent financing or cash rebate offers. However, the sales rep and business manager at a dealer I visited said the program couldn't be combined with the cash rebate, which I was planning on using. Could you clarify this? M.F., Park Ridge A. The folks at the dealership told you wrong. Free Ride refers to a new Ford incentive offering no payments until January 2003, on the purchase of any '02 model Ford car, truck or sport-utility vehicle.

Q. I contacted a tire dealer about purchasing two new front tires for my 2000 Nissan Pathfinder. I told him the brand of tires on my vehicle but he recommended a different brand for the two front tires. After installing them, he asked, "Is your vehicle four-wheel-drive?" I said it was and then he told me I couldn't use the tires he just installed because the tread pattern doesn't match those on the rear wheels, so my best bet was to buy two more of his brand tires so I could use 4WD to get through the winter.

Q--I'm puzzled. I have a special-edition 1996 Cadillac DeVille. Several weeks ago I wrote to the general manager of Cadillac to ask if a special edition was going to be available in 1998, last year before a redesign for 1999. His reply was that he didn't know what Cadillac was going to do. I always thought the automakers planned years in advance. Why wouldn't they know now? R.H., Oak Park A--Special, limited or commemorative editions take little time to bring to market because they usually are decor jobs with special trim and badging or specific option packages sold at a discount.

Q. I drive a 1996 Cadillac DeVille but after several back and hip operations decided to treat myself to an '03 DeVille. Much to my surprise and dismay, I could barely get my 6-foot 2-inch frame into the car. My thighs press up against the steering wheel. Why did Cadillac build the car for only the short person and not the tall person? Why couldn't Cadillac move the seat back four inches for the taller person? R.H., Oak Park A. So if Cadillac built its cars for the taller person at the expense of the shorter person you'd be much happier.

Q-I remember a program many years ago sponsored by General Motors to encourage creativity in young people in the area of auto design. Young people submitted auto models to GM for contest competition. No doubt it helped GM acquire design ideas. I'm curious if the program still exists. A-Bruce McDonald, vice president of public relations for GM, was involved in the program you refer to, which was called Fisher Body Craftsman Guild. GM invited budding young designers to submit a three-dimensional model of a vehicle for judging.

Q--I recently asked a mechanic why I was slowly getting corrosion deposits around my battery terminal. He informed me that it was because I bought a cheap $75 battery that was leaking gases. He advised me to replace it quickly before it did serious damage to my car with a $250 battery he recommended. Is his analysis correct? J.B., Honolulu A--Such acid reaction is not uncommon. The first thing to do is have your battery checked for charge to determine whether it is working properly before you replace it. Bob Weber, the Tribune's Motormouth, says one possible solution is to run down to your automotive parts store and get some felt anti-corrosion washers to slip onto your battery terminals.

Q-Please give me an honest answer that will settle an argument. Person 1 says you should allow the engine to warm up for two to three minutes before driving, so the oil pump can build pressure. Person 2 says you should start the car and drive away slowly no matter what the weather conditions are. Who's right? G.H., Schiller Park A-Both are right to an extent. In warm weather, start the car and drive away slowly. When temperatures are below freezing, let the engine run 30 seconds to a minute and then drive away slowly.

Q. My 1997 Cadillac DeVille has 70,000 miles, and one of the rear struts is leaking fluid. My mechanic says it will cost about $1,500 to replace the rear pair due to the electronics involved. I would like to keep this car for several more years as long as there are no other extreme costs. Because we have three small children, I am very concerned about the vehicle's handling, especially in an emergency. This is why I do not think ignoring the problem is a good idea, not to mention the bad tire wear that will result.

First time our baby blues focused on the 2000 Cadillac DeVille was in the hallway of the General Motors design studios in Warren, Mich., about three years ago. Cadillac, bursting with pride over its upcoming DeVille, invited a handful of journalists to share the excitement. When the tarp was pulled off the prototype, none of the media exhibited heart failure, had a mind-altering experience or jumped out of their shoes in a rush to caress the fiberglass. The only reaction we recall was several journalists reaching to cover their mouths in a prolonged yawn over what looked something like the offspring of a Lincoln that had fooled around with an Infiniti.

Ted Rich, of Louisville, used the OnStar system in his Cadillac DeVille to find his daughter's home in Minneapolis after exiting the interstate at the wrong place . Honey Rackman, of Brooklyn, N.Y., used the OnStar system in her DeVille one afternoon to order balloons for her husband's birthday party that night. And Jim Dickey, of Pendleton, Ore., had his OnStar system automatically activated when his Cadillac Seville hit a deer. Introduced in 1997, General Motors' OnStar was offered exclusively to owners of front-wheel-drive Cadillacs and, later, to owners of rear-wheel-drive Cateras.